Inside the growing skating park at Nakuru's maasai market
Children train at the skating park behind Maasai market on June 25, 2023.
Every Sunday, the space behind Maasai market is filled with sounds of children shouting, laughing and cheering.
Despite many falls, these resilient kids choose to get back up and continue with their core business of the day; skating.
Parents sit on the side lines, watching their children enjoy the sport. Some enthusiastically record their children's progress as they skate distances they haven't achieved before.
To ensure the safety and development of the kids, the management has placed coaches at various spots along the road.
These coaches ensure that the young skaters are properly equipped with boots, helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads.
Zawadi Liz
One of the skaters, Zawadi Liz, who is eight years old, shares her experience saying she started skating in 2020 after asking her parents for permission.
“Skating has taught me important life skills like resilience, hard work, and patience,” Liz says.
Rose Atieno who has started skating professionally finds great joy in sports as it allows her to maintain her physical fitness and improve her favourite pass time. Her ultimate goal is to pursue a career as a professional athlete.
Rose Atieno
“I want to become a professional skater and later coach other people who want to learn this sport,” the six-year-old says.
Talib Lesaruni, who is eight years old, expresses his deep fondness for skating saying he believes that engaging in this activity not only strengthens his body but also enhances his mental resilience, enabling him to focus better in school.
Talib Lesaruni
Vincent Muli, a Skating Coach, explains that the decision to conduct skating training in the Central Business District was made to create a space where both amateur and professional skaters in Nakuru could train, interact, and connect with other athletes.
Muli emphasizes that this initiative also helps keep the youth engaged and away from criminal activities, particularly considering the recent increase in crime across the County.
Skating coach Vincent Muli at the skating park behind Maasai market
“Every Sunday we get over 100 professional and amateur skaters on Sundays. Those seeking training only need to pay at most Sh 1000 for equipment if they do not have and a trainer as well,” Muli states.
He notes that the space attracts trainees as young as three years old and as old as 25.
For parents who are sceptical about enrolling their children in the sport, Muli says the trainers prioritize safety for the skaters at the park.